Hey, Scripting Guy! We have a lot of users who let unread email messages pile up in their Outlook Inboxes; after awhile, that causes their Inboxes to fill up. How can I write a script users could run that would delete any unread messages that are more than 6 months old? -- ST
Hey, ST. You know, sometimes...

Share this post: Can I Delete All Items in the Deleted Items Folder? Hey, Scripting Guy! I need a VBScript script that will delete all of the e-mails in the Deleted Items folder. I have tried to do this, but I am not able to get it to delete all of the items in the folder. One time it deletes one or...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I really like the ability to export my calendar into a shareable format with Microsoft Outlook. It is really cool, but can I accomplish this by using a Windows PowerShell script?
-- MB
Hello MB,
Microsoft Scripting Guy Ed Wilson here. In 30 minutes, I have a Live Meeting...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I run a script any time Outlook is started? -- AT
Hey, AT. Today is Wednesday, and Wednesday is a busy day here at TechEd IT Forum . For one thing, this afternoon the Scripting Guys will be making a guest appearance at the TechNet Magazine booth. What will they be doing...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I randomly select an email from an Outlook mail folder? -- TV
Hey, TV. You know, for a brief moment last night the Scripting Guy who writes this column thought he had achieved every father’s dream. The Scripting Dad and the Scripting Son went to the gym to play basketball...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I list all the members of a Microsoft Outlook distribution list? -- KH
Hey, KH. You know, that’s an interesting question. As it turns out, you can – ow! Hey, let go! Ow! Stop it! Come on, give us a chance; we were just about to tell them! Ow!
Um, excuse us. It has come...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get a list of all the upcoming meetings that have been scheduled by a specific person (namely, my manager)? -- GH
Hey, GH. Before we tackle this question we’d like to reassure anyone who looked out their window recently and saw pigs flying; that’s to be expected. Likewise...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Over the past year or so you’ve answered several questions in which you use a script to connect to the Inbox in Microsoft Outlook. But how can I connect to the Junk Mail folder in Outlook? -- ME
Hey, ME. Let’s see, what time is it? OK good: we have enough time to answer this question...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I write a script that accesses all the subfolders in my Outlook Inbox? -- MB
Hey, MB. You know, after you’ve written a daily scripting column for nearly two years (have we mentioned the Hey, Scripting Guy 500th column celebration lately?) you learn that certain subjects...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I save all the items in my Sent Items folder that are more than one month old? -- RS
Hey, RS. You know, we’d like to answer this question; we really would. However, the Scripting Guy who writes this column is leaving on vacation tomorrow, which means that – being an important...

Hey, Scripting Guy! Given the birthday for one of my Office Outlook contacts, how can I tell how old that person is? -- JC
Hey, JC. We have to tell you, JC, that you initially gave us quite a start with this question. Why? Well, when the Scripting Guy who writes this column sat down to write this...

Summary : Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, teaches you how to use Windows PowerShell to data mine your Sent Items folder in Microsoft Outlook.
Hey, Scripting Guy! I was wondering if I would use Windows PowerShell to process my Sent Items in Outlook. I mean, I think there is some interesting data...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I schedule a meeting to occur every day, Monday through Friday, for two weeks? -- GB
Hey, GB. As it turns out, the Scripting Guy who writes this column has not moved to some place where it doesn’t snow in April . That’s not because the Seattle area didn’t get the predicted...

Hey, Scripting Guy! My manager does not like appointment reminders; therefore every meeting request she sends is without reminders. I like reminders and I try to remember to turn them on, but sometimes I forget; that means that if I'm not on top of my schedule, I can miss a meeting. How can I write a...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get the total number of items - and the total size - of all the items in my Inbox and Sent Items folders? -- CS
Hey, CS. You know, one of the Scripting Guys has a foolproof method for determining this information. What does he do? Nothing; instead, he just sits around...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a new folder in Microsoft Outlook? -- TY
Hey, TY. You know, this is an exciting time here at Microsoft; after all, last night at midnight we officially released one of the most highly-anticipated software products ever created: a script that can create a new folder...

Hey, Scripting Guy! We recently implemented a scheme whereby Team Leads or Contract Sponsors may request server access for their Team members by submitting an Excel spreadsheet. To this end, I proposed a script that will open Outlook, look for items in the Inbox that contain a particular Subject line...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I get a list of all the email addresses in my Sent Items and then write those addresses to an Excel spreadsheet? -- RD
Hey, RD. As a matter of fact, yes, we are having problems focusing on work today. Granted, that’s true most days. However, at least today it’s understandable...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I delete all the messages in my Sent Items folder? -- OG
Hey, OG. You know, throughout his entire life the Scripting Guy who writes this column has been told that “the only dumb question is the question that goes unasked.” Now, to be perfectly honest, he...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I create a new Outlook distribution list based on the membership of an Active Directory group? -- HKM
Hey, HKM. Before we launch into today’s column we’d like to make a nomination for the Most Courageous Scripting Performance of the Year. With all due modesty, that would...

Hey, Scripting Guy! The Pointy Headed Boss (PHB) just got back from some kind of stupid management summit, and he has decided he needs to track our work activities more closely. As a result, we now have to give him a weekly progress report. Seems to me that, if he would pay attention, he would know what...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I schedule an all-day event in Microsoft Office Outlook? -- RL
Hey, RL. Have you ever heard the expression “every dog has its day”? Well, if you haven’t, the idea is that sooner or later everyone will have their moment in the sun, that sooner or later...

Hey, Scripting Guy! I would like to export all my contacts as .MSG files. Is that possible? -- FG
Hey, FG. You know, the other day the Scripting Guy who writes this column was watching his … beloved … Seattle Mariners play the Angels. (The Scripting Guy who writes this column enjoys watching the Mariners...

Hey, Scripting Guy! How can I go through all the emails in an Outlook folder and determine which messages are flagged for follow-up and which messages were flagged for follow-up but are now complete? -- KF
Hey, KF. We’ll be honest with you: we’re going to try to get to your question today, but first...